FAVOR AND IN COMMUNION WTTH

THE APOSTOLIC SEE.

To Our Vénérable Brethren, the Patriarchs, Primates,

Archhishops and Bishops of the Cafholic World in

favor and in Communion with the Apostolic See.

LEO XIII., POPE

Vénérable Brethren, Health and Apostolic Bénédiction :

The august charge of propagating ihe Christian name, intrusted in an especial mannerto the Blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles, and to his successors, has ledthe Roman Pontifis to send,at différent tim s, to the varions nations of the earth, messengers of t e Holy Gospel according as circnmstances and the eounsels of the G-od of Merey seemed to demand. Hence il is that just as they delegated, for ihe instruction of soûls, Augustin tu the pritons, Patrick to

the Irish, Bonifacius to the German, Willibrod to the Frisians, Batavians and Belgians, and many others to other nations, so also they conferred upon Saints Cyril and Methody the power of fulfilling the Apostolic Mission among the Sclaves, who, thanks to their zeal and to their great labors, beheld the light of the Gospel and passed from a life of barbarism to civilization.

If famé, faithful to the memory of their good works, has never ceased to eeiebrate throughout the Solaye country that illustrious pair of Apostles, Cyril and Methody, neither has the Roman Church surrounded with a lesser worship those who, during their life-time, she honored in many w7ays, and she refused to be deprived of the ashes of the first of them that died. Thus, since the year 1858, the Bohemians, the Moravians aud the Croats of the Sclavonic race, who were wront, annually, to eeiebrate the 9th of March in honor of Cyril and Methody, obtained, from the favor of Pius IX., our predecessor of immortal memory, permission to hold their festival thenceforth on the 5th of July, and to récite the office in memory of Cyril and Methody.

Shortly afterwards, while the great Council of the Vatican was in session, many Bishops urgently besought the Apostolic See that their worship and solemn feast might be extended to the w^hole Church. But the matter not having been setlled up to this lime and a change having been made, by the vicissitudes of the times. in the political situation of those régions, the occasion appears to us favorable to be useful to the poor Sclaves, w^hose conversion and salvation We hâve greatly at heart. Hence it is, that if We désire that our paternal affection should fail them in nothing, We are also desirous that there be an increase and an extension of the vénération of those holy men who, just as in days gone by, led the Sclavonic people from death to life by propagating

the Catholic faith among them, so they may now pro tecl < hem most elfectualiy by their celestial patronage.

Cyril and Methody, first cousins, born in the ceiebrated city oi Tessaloniea, repaired at an early âge to Constantinople to study human sciences at the very capital of the East. They were not long in revealing the spark of genius which was already enkindled in thèse young men ; both made great pro- 2*ress m a short time, particularly Cyril, who so distinffuished himself in the sciences that he merited iu an especial maniier to be called the Philosopher. Not long after Methody embraced the monastic state : Cyril, on the other hand, was deemed worthy to be intmsted by the Bmpress Theodora at the request of the Patriareh Ignatius, to instruct in the Christian faith, the Ghazars, a people situatedbeyond the Chersonese, who implored Constantinople for priests of their own nation, lie cheerfully accepted his charge. Having gone to Chersonese, in Taurus, he devoted some time, as related by many, to the study of the language of the country ; and at this tirne, it was his good fortune, by the most happy of présages, to discover the hallowed remains of Pope St. Clément L, which he had no difficulty in recognizing, en account of the old tradition as well as of the anchor with which it is known that the magnanimous martyr was cas! into the sea, by order of the Emperor Trajan, and afterwards buried.

The possessor of such a priceless ireasure, he pushed his way inio the towns and résidences of the Ohazars, and soon after having abolished divers kinds of superstition, he won thèse people over to Jésus Christ, instructed by his teachings and nourished by the Spirii of G-od. The new Christian community being happily organized, h*' gave a mémorable example of continence and of charity, by refusing alJ the présents offored to him l>\ the inhabitants, excepj the

slaves, whose émancipation ho reserred io himselt if they would be converted to Christ iauity. He Boon returned to Constantinople. In the monastery to which Methody had already retired, Cyril sought an asylum also.

During this time, famé had oarried the news of the happy things that had happened to the Chazars, to the ears of Rastiz, prince of Moravia. Incited by their example, the latter negociated withMichael III, for the sending, by Constantinople, of some evangelical workers, and readily obtained his wish. The signal merits of Cyril and Methody, and their well known dévotion to their neighbor, singled them out for the Moravian mission.

Having set out on their journey across Bulgaria, which had already been initiated into the Christian faith, they no where neglected any opportunity for advancing religion. In Moravia, the multitude having gone out as far as the limits of the principality to meet them, they were received with the greatest enthusiasm and with greatjoy. They lost no time in instilling into their mînds Christian teachings, and in raising them to hopes of heavenly blessings, and this with such ardor and indefatigable zeal, that in a short time the Moravian people went spontaneously over to Jésus Christ.

The knowledge which Cyril had previously acquired of the Sclavonic language contributed no little to this resuit ; the influence of the sacred literature of the two Testaments, which he had translated into the language of the people, was very gréai. The entire Sclavonic race is also Jargely indebted to him from whom it received not on] y the Christian faith, but the blessing of civilization also ; for Cyril and Methody were the inventors of the alphabet which furnished the language of the Sclaves with its signs and its means of expression, and for this reason they are justly regarded as the l'ounders of the language itself.

Famé carried fche glory of thèse deeds from those remote and isolated provinces as far as Rome. The Sovereign Pontifï' Nicholas I., having eommanded thèse holy brethren to repair to Rome, they hastened to obey. and having eagerly set out for Rome they carried the relies of St. Clément with them. On hearing this, Pope Adrian IL, who had been elected in place of the deceased Pope Nicholas, advanced in the midst of a concours of clergy and people, attired as for a solemn procession to meet thèse illustrious guests. The body oi St. Clément honored from that very moment with signal wonders, was borne with great pomp to the Basilica erected in the days of Constantine upon the very ruins of the paternal mansion of that invincible martyr. ,

Cyrill and Methody, then, in the présence of the clergy, gave the Sovereign Pontifia an account of the Apostolic Mission they had fulfilled so holily and so laboriously. And, as they accused themselves of having aeted against ancient usages and against the mosj saered rites, in using the Sclavonic language in celebrating the Saered Mysteries, they pleaded their cause with such just and conviucing reasons that the Pontitf, and the entire clergy with him, praised and approved them. Eoth having, then, taken the oath, aeeording to the formula of the Catholic profession, and having sworn that they would abide in the faith of the blessed Peter and of the Roman Pontiffs, were created and consecrated Bishops by Adrian himself and many of their disciples were also promoted to di lieront Holy Orders.

Il was the wiJl of Providence that Cyril should terminale lus earthly career in Rome, on the lfth ol February, 869, more ripe in virtue than in years. He had solemn and p i l 1 > 1 i * * obsequies, celebrated with the same pomp as tbr Eioman Pontirfs, and was laid with gréai honora in the tomb which Adrian had had ereolcd for hiuiself The hallowed remains ot

the deceased, which lue Roman people would not allow to be transferréd to Oonstantinople, notwithstanding the désires of a disconsolate mother, were taken to the Basilica oi' St. Clément and deposited near the ashes of him whom Cvril himself had preserved with vénération for so many years. And, while he was being carried across the city amid the joyous singing of Psalms, one would hâve thought that the Roman people, in sliowing him celestial honors, were giving him a triumph rather than a iiincral.

When this was over, Methody returned as Bishop, by command and under the auspices of the Sovereign Pontifia to résume his Apostolic functions in Moravia. In this province "being made a pattern of the flock, t'rom the heart," he applied himself more and more to serving the Catholic cause lie was soon energetically combatting innovators to prevent their destroying the Catholic name by the iblly of their opinions ; instructing in religion Prince Swentopolck, who had succeded Rastiz, reproving him when he failed in his duty, threatening him, even punishing him with excommunication.

For doing this he incurred the hatred of that cruel and licentious tyrant who condemned him to exile. But recalled, soon after from his banishment, he succeoded, by happy exhortations, in forcing from that Prince évidences cf a better disposition and the assurance that he recognized the necessity of redeeming his former habits by a new mode of lii'e. What is most wonderful is that the vigilant charity of Methody having gone beyond the limits of Moravia, as during the lifetime of Cyril, it had reached the Livornians and the Serba, so also it now embraced the Pannonians, (whose Prince he converted to the Catholic religion, awd neld liim to his duty) ; and the Bulgarians, whom he conlirmed in the Christian fait h togetluT with their Prinoe Boris; and the Pal-

matians to whom he disfributed and dispensed heavenly grâces ; and the Carinthians, whom he laborod earnestly to bring' to a knowledge and worship of the only trueGrod.

But this became a source of trials to him ; l'or. some of the members of the new society of Christians, jealous of the courageoux acts and of the virtues of Methody, accused him, in opite of his innocence, to John VIII, the suecessor of Adriau, of holding a suspected faith and of violating the traditions ol their ibreiathers,who in the célébration oi the Holy Mysteries, use the G-reek or Latin language only, to the exclusion of ail others. Then, the Pontiff in his zeal for the maintenance of the integrity of the faith and of ancient tradition summoned Methody to Rome and ralled upon him to réfute the charge and to justify himself

Methody, ever ready to obey and strong in the testimony of his conscience appeared, in the year 8S0 before Pope John, many Bishops and the 'Roman elergy, and theie won an easy victory by proving that he had always preserved and iaithiully taught to others the faith which in the présence of Adriau he had professed and promised to préserve by his oath taken upon the tomb ôf the Prince of the Âpostles ; and thaï, ifhe made use of the Sclave language in the Holy Mvsteries,it was for good reasons, by spécial permission of Pope Adriau himself and without any violation of the sacred text. By this defence hecleured himself so well of ail suspicion of blâme, that the Pontiff forthwith embraced Methody, and was very willing to conlirm his Archiépiscopal authority and his mission among the Sclaves. Besides, the Pontiff having delegated several Bishops over whom Methody was to préside, and who wcre to assist im in the administration ol Christian affaira, sont him back to Moravia with the most (lattering Ifetters, and with full powers. And, at a later period, whcn the en\ y

of thc wicked again assailed Methody, the Sovereign Pontiff was pleased again to conhrm ail his favors by new letters.

Hence it is, that fully reassured and united with the Sovereign Pontiff and with the entire Roman Church by the closest bonds of faith and chariiy, Methody perse vered with still greater vigilance in the performance of the charge which had been laid upon him, and he was not slow in bringing fort. h the wonderiul fruits of his zeal. For, after having, himself, wTith the aid of a priest, converted Boriwoj, Prince of the Bohemians, andshortly afterwards Ludmilla, wife of this prince, to the Catholic faith, he succeeded in a very short time in eftecting the dissémination of Christianity throughout this entire nation. At the same time he labored to carry the light of the Grospel into Poland, when having himself penetrated into Grallicia, he founded an Episcopal Sec at Leopol.

From hère, having entered, as is related by soine into Moscovia, properly so called, he established the Episcopal See of Kiew. Having thus co vered himself w ith immortal laurels, he returned to Moravia, among his own. Feeling that he was approaching his last hours he designated his successor, and after having by his last counsels exhorted his clergy and people to virtue,he calmly quitted this life wrriich had been to him the road to heaven. As Rome wept over Cyril, so also did Moravia proclaim its sorrow over Methody and its grief at his loss, by honoring his obsequies in every way.

The recollection of thèse e vents is the source of great joy to us, Vénérable Brethren, and ¥e are not a little touched at coT;templating, from afar ofl", the magnificent union in their beautiful origin of the Sel ave nations with the Roman Church. For, if it was from Constantinople that those two propagators of the Christian name, of vvhom We hâve just spoken, set

out to pénétrai o into infidel lands, it was from this Apostolic See, the center of the Catholic unity, that they had to receive the investiture oftheir mission, or to speak plainer, the holiness and necessary approbation for this mission. Indeed, it was hère, in this city of Rome, that they gave an aceount of their mission and that they answered their accusers ; it was hère, upon the tomb of Peter and Paul, that they swore to keep the Catholic faith, that they received episcopal consécration together with ihe power to constitute the sacred hierarchy by observing the distinction of orders. Finally, it was hère, that permission was sought and granted to use the Sclavonic language in sacred cérémonies, and it is this year, ten centuries ago, since the Sovereign PontifF John Y1TI, wrote to Swentopolck, Prince of Moravia : " W.th good reason do we pr aise the Sclaves learning. . . .which resouncl with praises due to God, and we command that in this very language he sung the praises and. works of Out Lord Jésus Chris/. And nothing, in Orthodox faith, or in doctrine, pre vents either singing Mass in the Sclave language, the reading in this language of the Holy Gospel or oj the divine tessons of the New and Cld Testaments well translated and interpreted, or to sing ail the offices of the Honrs." This custom, after many vicissitudes, was sanctioned by Benedict XIV, by Apostolic Letters dated Augusi 25, 1754.

?>ut the Roman Pontiffs, every time their assistance was sollicitedby the Princes who ruled over the people whom the zeal of Cyril and of Methmly had brought to Christianity, acted in such a manner thaï they ean never be accused of being wanting either in tenderness in succoring, of gentleness in teaching, of kindness in their counsels, and wherever possible, of the greatesl condescension. Ratz, especially, and Swentopolck, and Cocel, and Ludmilla, and Boris knew the wonderful charity of our predecessors al différent ti mes and under différent ci rcu instances,

The national solicitude of the Roman PontifFs for the Sclave people lias neither ceased nor relaxed since the days of Cyril and Methody ; it has always proclaimed itselfby guarding the sanctity of religion and the préservation of public prosperity among them. Indeed, Nicholas sent from Rome, to the Bulgarians, priests charged with instructing the people and also the Bishops, of Populonia and of Porto, charged with organizing the new Christian society. The same Pope replied with great charity to the numerous controversies of the Bulgarians upon sacred law, so much so that those who are the least kindly disposed towards the Roman Church remark and praise the exalted prudence of thèse replies.

And since the painful calamity of the schism, it is the glory of Innocent III. to hâve reconciled the Bulgarians with the Catholic Church, and it is the glory of Gregory IX., of Innocent IV., of Nicholas IV., of Eugène IV., to hâve maintained this reconciliation. So, also, in the case of the Bosnians and the Herzegoyinians, misled by the contagion of perverse opinions, they shone forth the charity of our predecessors, Innocent II L, and Innocent IV., Gregory IX., Clément VI., and Pius IL; the two ilrst of whom sought to wrest error from minds. and the other three to strengthen the degrees of the sacred hierarchy in those régions. Il must be observed that Innocent III , Nicholas IV., Benedict XL and Clément V. did not dévote the smallest nor the last part of their cares to the Serbs ; for it was with the greatest ibresight that they repressed the frauds craftily combined in the country for the destruction of religion. So, too, did the Dalmatians and the Livomians receive from John X., Gregory VIIL, G-regory IX., and Urban IV. évidences of spécial favor and the greatest praise for their constancy in the faith in return for their good offices.

finally, there are numerous monuments of the

kindness of Grregory IX. and of Clément XIV. in the church of &irmium, destroyed in the sixteenth century by the incursions of the Barbarians and subsequently restored by the pions zeal of St. Stephen, King of Hungary.

For this reason do We recognize that ¥e should give thanfls to Grod that a good opportnnity has been given us of granting a favor to the Sclave nation and to provide for its gênerai welfare, and that, too, with a zeal no less than that manifested by our predecessors.

For, what We hâve in view,what We soleîy désire is to spare no effort to hâve the Sclave nations instructed by a large numbôr of Bishops ; to hâve them strengthened in the true faith, in obédience to the true Church of Jésus Christ ; to hâve them feel more than ever, by daiJy expérience, what power for good llows from the precepts of the Catholic Church, upon the home and upon ail classes in the country.

Indeed, thèse churches claim the greater part of our thoughts, and there is nothing ¥e désire more than to be able to provide for their welfare and prosperity and to hold them to us by a lasting bond of harmony, which is the greatest and the best bond of salvation. It remains loi* us to obtain that the God, rich in hicfi'ic*, favor our projects and assist our under- Lakings. In the meantime, We invoke as intercessors near Him. Cyril and Methody, Doctors in the Sclave countries ; for as We désire to increase their vénération, We are confident that their heavenly protection will not fail us.

We ordain, therefore, that on the fii'th day of the mont h of July, fixed by Tins i\.. of happy memory, then be inserUd in th<i Calendar of the Roman and [Jniversal Church. and annually celebrated, the feasl of St. Cyril and St. Methody, with the Office of the Double Minor Rite, and the Mass proper, which the red Congrégation of Rites h ..- approv<

We trust to you, thon, Vénérable Brethren, to see to the publication of this Encyclical, and that you prescribe the observance of what is therein decreed by ail the order of priests, who celebrate the offices of the Roman Church, in their churches, provinces, citics. Diocèses and Con vents of Regulars. We désire finally, your counsels and your exhortations assisting, that Cyril and Methody be prayed to and invoked throughout ■ the whole world, to the end that they may protect the Christian religion in ail the East with ail the grâce they are wont to enjoy near to G-od, by obtaining constancy for Catholics and by inspiring dissidents with a désire of being reconciled with the true Church.

We decree that what is written above be ratified and confirmed, without any dérogation of the Constitutions published by Pius Y., our prf decessor, and of other Apostolic Constitutions, on the reform of the Breviary and of the Roman Missal, nor of usages and customs, even the most remote, nor of ail others to the contrary.

As an earnest of heavenly favors and of our spécial good wil), We bestow with great love in Our Lord, upon you ail, Vénérable Brethren, upon ail the clergy, and upon the people committed to your care the Apostolic Bénédiction.

Griven at Rome, near St. Peter's, on the 30th day of September, in the year 1880, and of our Pontificate the third.

LEO XIII, POPE

Sème Série* No 24.

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